“Coffee break time!”… The usual thing we usually do or hear during the afternoon where our body tends to lose its energy. But why coffee? Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. People drink it for breakfast to help boost that morning energy, during snack time with biscuits, or even during the night to keep oneself awake. Among its ingredients, Caffeine is the best-known and it has a lot of beneficial effects on the human body that some may not be familiar with. Here are some health benefits of coffee:

1. Coffee boosts your physical performance

Caffeine increases adrenaline levels in your blood. Thus, drinking black coffee about an hour before workout and your performance can improve by 11-12%.

2. Coffee may lessen your risk of developing type 2 diabetes

A growing body of research suggests an association between coffee drinking and a reduced risk of diabetes. A 2009 study found that the risk of developing diabetes dropped by 7% for each daily cup of coffee.

3. Coffee can help you burn fat

Caffeine has been found that has few natural substances proven to aid fat burning. Caffeine can boost your metabolic rate by 3-11%. However, it’s possible that these effects diminish in long-term coffee drinkers.

4. Coffee contains essential nutrients

A single cup of coffee contains about 11% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) of Riboflavin (vitamin B2), 6% of the RDI of Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), 3% of the RDI of Manganese and Potassium, and 2% of the RDI of Magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3).

5. Coffee helps protect your brain

Studies have shown that drinking coffee could reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s by up to 65%. A Japanese study also found that people who drink just one cup of coffee per day are 20% less likely to suffer from a stroke than non-coffee drinkers.

However, just like anything else, coffee also has its disadvantages. Make sure to limit your coffee intake and take a sip according to your intended purpose especially during late hours because coffee can cause insomnia and restlessness. It is also important to note that if you’re pregnant, it is best NOT to drink coffee because it has bad effects on your growing baby inside your womb. Overall, a reasonable amount of coffee (which is around 1-5 cups a day) can be good for you. However, if you are caffeine sensitive, pregnant or a child, you should pay attention to avoiding coffee drinking. Disciplining ourselves by holding back our cravings almost all the time saves the day.

NO I Cielo Katrina M. Mabalot

References:

1. “12 health benefits and 6 disadvantages of coffee” from https://blog.warriorcoffee.com/blog/12-health-benefits-and-6-disadvantages-of-coffee-smashing-it

2. “7 health benefits of your morning coffee” from https://jamaicablue.com.au/news/7-health-benefits-morning-coffee/

3. “13 health benefits of coffee, based on science” from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee

4. “10 healthy reasons to drink coffee” from https://www.onemedical.com/blog/newsworthy/10-healthy-reasons-to-drink-coffee-2/